Paradox
by RainLily13
Summary: Inu/YYh-When Kurama visits some shrines for research Hiei tags along & sees someone he thought he'd never see again-The apocalypse has arrived-Hiei is actually shocked. "Impossible…I saw you die." Kagome jerked away "Excuse m-what did you say!" Hiei/Kag
1. Prologue

_I finally finished this dang prologue! Lol. I've had it mostly written for like __**months**__. Hope you all like it, this style of writing is diffferent to me. You'll see what I mean in a moment. _

_Well, all that's left to be said is: Read, Review, and ENJOY!! XD_

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**Summary-**When Kurama needs to visit some shrines to do some research for his thesis, Hiei decides to tag along and sees someone he thought he'd never see again. The apocalypse has arrived; Hiei is actually shocked. "Impossible…I saw you die." Kagome jerked away from him, "Excuse m-what did you just say?!"

**Genre-** Adventure, Humor, Romance, Friendship, Drama, Angst…

**Pairings- **

Major- Hiei/Kagome

Minor- I have no idea. Probably canon pairings (Yusuke/Kieko, Sango/Miroku) Maybe I'll let you guys choose, tell me what you think.

**Setting-** There's really no set time that I'm starting at. It's pretty random, but all I can tell you for sure is that technically, it starts out before Hiei gets his Jagan transplanted, goes the to the ice domain, realizes he had a sister and all that good stuff. Then when Kagome finally meets Hiei in the Feudal Era, that's after he gets his Jagan eye. Keyword is Feudal Era guys...you'll see why later ;)

**Ages-** Uhmm, 2 years after Kagome's little trip down the well. That would make her 17. Yusuke, Kieko, and Kuwabara will be 16. Kurama is 17. Hiei _looks_ like he's 17. Sango would be 19, Miroku 21, and Inuyasha _looks_ like he's 17.

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_--Kagome's Thoughts--_

_#Hiei's Thoughts#_

_*Kurama's Thoughts*_

_*Youko's Thoughts*_

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_**Disclaimer- As much as I wish I did, I DO NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho, just the plot of this story and any OC's that happen to pop up! XD **_

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--Paradox--

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--Prologue--

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_Joy flooded the clearing, cloaking everyone within it. It was like a fog, leaving no area untouched. _

_The battle; it was finally over. The dark hanyou; finally dead, defeated, killed by the hands of his beloved._

_Their relief and ebullience permeated their surroundings- that is, until the fear, pain, and horror spiked. Until the scent of blood, pure blood flowed through the air._

_Slowly, oh so very slowly, his head turned. Crimson eyes locked with petrified, dulling blue, and then those ruby orbs widened with stricken, morbid horror. A gasp strangled its way from the hybrids throat. "Ka-Kagome…" His heart stopped momentarily._

_Time seemed to slow down as he stood frozen, watching as the woman of interest crumpled to the ground with an excruciating slow motion. First her knees buckled, then her legs gave out from under before she flailed, albeit it lightly, and then hit the ground with a thud. _

_All the while, her eyes- those same eyes filled with so much pain which would haunt him for life - never wavered from his. _

_He took one step forward but a humongous, overpowering influx of miko-ki stunned him, rendering him immobile. _

_Something, _her presence_, slowly dissipated from his mind as the bright flash began to fade. Panic spread throughout his body, though it wasn't visible._

_Reality finally struck; his mind finally comprehended the severity of the situation. A terrified roar ripped out from his throat "KAGOME!!"_

_He disappeared in a flash of black, reappearing beside the previously named person. By that time, the glow had completely disappeared._

_His stomach twisted sickeningly at the scene he stepped into - his throat closed, his eyes burned. His lips trembled ever so slightly._

_All that was left was her bow, broken in half with the string snapped. _

_Next to it was only a pile of ash…_

_Which suspicious and remarkably smelt like thunder and chocolate. _

_His hand hesitantly reached out, dazed, unbelieving as his fingers felt the grainy texture of the ash._

_His hand retracted from the pile, as if he had been electrocuted. That residual _power_ that remained…it was so poignant..._

_His breath caught, his face contorted into pain, his fists clenched so painfully that it drew blood._

_That was when he saw it…_

_His mother's hiruiseki stone, the same one he'd given his mate-to-be as his courting gift…_

_His heart stopped…_

_A small, lost whimper escaped him. _#No…Kami, no…#

_Unseen by wide eyes, a dark tear built up in the corner of his eyes, spilling over to trickle down his cheek. It paused at his chin, suspended for a moment, before it began its descent to the ground._

_The clearing was so damn silent, everyone could hear the clink of the hiruiseki stone as it impacted the ground._

_A stricken whisper confirmed his worst fears. "Ain't that…ain't that Kagome's scent?"_

_Fury, angered, dark crimson eyes snapped to meet wide, horrified gold eyes._

_An evil snarl ripped out. "You're an Inu, what do_ you _think." he snapped darkly._

_Inuyasha opened his mouth automatically to respond, months of bantering instincts kicking in, but no words formed._

_It didn't matter because he snatched up the two stones before he disappeared once more in a flash…_

_Only this time he never did reappear. _

_That was the day he completely closed himself off from the world once again, from the friends and allies he made. _

_The day over a hundred of low-level demons 'mysteriously' disappeared, not too far from the clearing they all stood…_

_They couldn't blame him…they would have done the same if it was them in his situation…_

_The day Ningens returned to the top of his most despised lists…all until 500 years later when he stole from the Reiki vault and was forced onto a team composed of one psychic human, a Mazoku, and the closest he had to a best friend - a human avatar. _

_The day his heart iced over fully, never to be melted until he found his sister. _

**--o--o--**

Storm clouds rolled into the sky as it darkened with every minute.

A dark figure loomed in up in the tree, eyes shut.

His breathing was slow, almost indiscernible as he listened faintly to the faraway rumblings of an oncoming thunderstorm. His black, gravity-defying air rippled against the strong breeze.

Another figure strolled to the very same tree, his head of long, red hair tilted up as his emerald green eyes peered through the vegetation at the figure. His eyes flashed with interest as he felt the tree convey the other man's somber depression.

He could practically feel the spirit within him cock his head in response_.__*Hey Red, what's with Shortie?*_ he asked curiously.

Kurama's eyes narrowed in deep thought. _*I don't know Youko...what _is _wrong, Hiei?*_

One of Hiei's eyes cracked open send a lidded stare back at Kurama.

_#Nothing fox...#_ Hiei's eyes slid close once again, basking in the hurtful, yet wistful memories from so long ago.

When his eyes opened once more, ruby red orbs glared at the stormy blue sky which so painfully reminded him of _her_. _#It's nothing at all...# _he thought bitterly.

Kurama glanced at Hiei skeptically and concern seeped into his gaze.

**--o--o--**

A young woman gazed out her window into the same darkening sky, staring with solemn blue-grey eyes out into the nothingness. Her small fists clutched at the blanket that enveloped her.

Her lips trembled slightly. A whisper floated into the air. "It's soon…I can_ feel_ it…"

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Words- 907

_You know, I always used to hate stories like this, where you get a little preview of what happens at the end - it just fills you up with anticipation, and you have to wait a longish time to read the whole thing when you want to now what happened like __**right now**__ lol. _

_But then again, I can totally see why its so appealing to do ^^_

_Anywhoo, as for those who know about the poll on my profile, I added six stories. They are all Inuyasha crossovers-_

**Title**

Category

(Pairings)

**Mistakes Amended**-White Collar (Neal/Kagome)

**Trapped in the Locker**-Pirates of the Caribbean (Jack/Kagome)

**Secrecy**-Bones (Booth/Kagome)

**Puzzles and Missing Pieces**-Batman (Bruce Wayne-Batman-/Kagome)

**Fairytale Turned Modern**-Teen Titans (Robin/Kagome)

**Mystery**-Ben 10 Alien Force (Ben or Kevin - Reader's Choice/Kagome)

_Now just to let you know, though these stories will have fluff, love, and relationships and all that good stuff, the plot won't solely revolve around it. And how much and how early there will be fluff and the relationship will be shown, will vary depending on the story. Action and humor are the main play in my fics, one way or another. _

_Anywhoo. soo how'd I do? _

_Till next time,_

_RainLily ^^_


	2. Chapter 1: Fact or Fiction?

_Okay, so, first off, I am SOO sorry for the lack of updates. I just haven't been feeling up to writing, and to all those writers out there, I'm sure you know what I mean. _

_If you see anything wrong with spelling, point em out. Some people spell other things differently when it comes to certain terms in the YYH universe, like 'Reikai' and all those others I'm not familiar about. _

_Read, Review, and as always Enjoyyy! XDD_

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_-Kagome's Thoughts-_

_#Hiei's Thoughts#_

_*Kurama's Thoughts*_

_#Youko's Thoughts#_

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_**Disclaimer- As much as I wish I did, I DO NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho, just the plot of this story and any OC's that happen to pop up! XD **_

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-Paradox-

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_Previously-_

_He could practically feel the spirit within him cock his head in response._*Hey Red, what's with Shortie?* _he asked curiously. _

_Kurama's eyes narrowed in deep thought._ *I don't know Youko...what_ is_ wrong, Hiei?*

_One of Hiei's eyes cracked open send a lidded stare back at Kurama. _

#Nothing fox...# _Hiei's eyes slid close once again, basking in the hurtful, yet wistful memories from so long ago._

_When his eyes opened once more, ruby red orbs glared at the stormy blue sky which so painfully reminded him of her._ #It's nothing at all...# _he thought bitterly._

_Kurama glanced at Hiei skeptically and concern seeped into his gaze._

-o-o-o-o-

_A young woman gazed out her window into the same darkening sky, staring with solemn blue-grey eyes out into the nothingness. Her small fists clutched at the blanket that enveloped her._

_Her lips trembled slightly. A whisper floated into the air. "It's soon…I can _feel_ it…"_

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-Fact or Fiction?-

_-In the Past-_

It was half past noon during an average day of shard hunting/following Naraku.

Aside from a few shards here and there, the jewel was collected for the most part. Of course, Naraku had almost half of the jewel - they only had a bit over a quarter, and Kouga had two shards.

Because of this predicament, there was no point in focusing on the jewel shards, so their main goal was to track down Naraku by any means necessary and the only thing that warranted a detour was sensing a jewel shard.

Oh, and if Kagome needed to go home for something of course.

As it was, Kagome was packing up their supplies after they finished their lunch as Inuyasha hassled them to speed it up.

The miko let out a annoyed huff. Standing up, she shot the hanyou a pointed stare. "If you want us to get moving already, then do something productive, like oh, I dunno, _lend a hand _or something!" she retorted sarcastically, shooting an irritated stare at her best friend.

Inuyasha's face twisted at her words and he snorted. "Keh, as if. Cleaning up is _woman's_ work, just like cooking and all that other crap," he said rudely, crossing his arms.

Promptly, Miroku looked at Inuyasha with horror and Shippo gaped at him, for good reasons too-

Sango stood stock-still in mid-bend from picking up a stray water bottle. Slowly, she straightened and her eyes narrowed threateningly, as if daring him to say something else. Fire flared in her cocoa eyes.

Kagome was more vocal in her efforts as her left eye twitched as if on fire. "Inuyasha?" she inquired calmly, a small smile on her face.

If you looked closely, you could tell it was forced.

Oblivious to the two ticking time bombs otherwise known as Kagome and Sango, Inuyasha answered blindly. "Whaddya want wench?"

Her smile turn sickly sweet. "Yeaaa - _sit boy_," she drawled out lightly, before going back to cleaning up.

'Bam!' "_Ka-go-me_!"

Sango smirked triumphantly while the other two males winced at the loud bang that followed.

Sango approached the Inuyasha-shaped hole, looking down in it as she spoke. "Woman's work huh? Say that again and you might find poison in your food one day..." she threatened, smirk widening in satisfaction at the following sound of gulping.

Even Miroku and Shippo paled at the possibility at that; Kagome was the only one who began laughing, eyes sparkling with mirth.

-o-o-o-o-

A few sits and bumps to the head later had the group walking along the dirt trail, heading west as per due to a lead from Koga. Unsurprisingly, Inuyasha begrudgingly followed the wolf's direction, seeing as he had little choice otherwise due to Kagome's 'special'..._persuasion_...

Kagome walked on happily as she chatted with Sango, Shippo perched loyally on her shoulder as Kirara was on Sango's, and oblivious to the dark presence behind them.

Inuyasha grumbled and glared at the back of Kagome's head, eye twitching as his hand coddled the throbbing bump on his head.

Only a few minutes passed before something in the back of Kagome's mind began to prickle lightly.

At first she just ignored it, passing it off as her imagination while she continued to chat animatedly with the only other female in the group.

Kagome stopped short when the prickling became stronger. Disregarding Sango's confused and concerned look, Kagome turned to face Inuyasha, her mouth set at a tight line.

"I sense a jewel shard, somewhere north west." Her voice was serious as was her expression.

Inuyasha merely smirked, forgetting his previous anger at the girl. "Then what the hell are we standing here for - let's go!" he exclaimed, bounding over to Kagome and roughly pulling her onto his back.

Kagome let out a startled yelp at first and Shippo's little claws dug tighter into her shoulder.

It wasn't long until Kagome let out a breathless laugh and waved her hand over to Sango and Miroku, who were currently clambering on Kirara's back with fervor. "C'mon guys, before Inuyasha leaves you behind!" she laughed out, making Inuyasha's smirk only grow wider.

Sango and Miroku shared grins before shaking their heads at their companion.

-o-o-o-o-

A dark figure stalked through the forest, opting to jump through tree after tree rather than to travel through the convenient trail situated merely ten yards from him.

An evil smirk spread through his face soon enough as the aura of a few demons came closer.

His eyes flickered to the sky, making a decision on the sun's position. The smirk grew larger, darker even. #_Hn, there is time to spare...# _He thought as he made a beeline for the three dark energy signals, which were larger than the usual demon.

He needed some fun, and a fight was the way to do it.

Soon enough, he was face to face with three snake demons. Two of them looked like actual huge snakes, while the other one took on a humanoid form - obviously the leader. Pale brown scales could be seen along his cheeks and forearms, and his eyes were black slits in surrounding orange.

The leader stepped forward to address the intruder. "Look what we have here boysss. Fresssh meat." he said in a drawled out chuckle.

One of his minions stumbled back in shock though, his expression a mix of fear and recognition. "Th-that's the forbidden child, Hiei! I recognize him from the description my brother's mate gave me! He killed Tasssu!"

The other minion hissed in pure fear, cringing at the name. "I've heard rumors of him! He's a ruthless murderer!"

"Sssilence!" The leader hissed in fury. "I am not afraid of you, _forbidden _child!" he drawled out in a snarl, voice coated with distaste. "I have power now, I can take you."

A black eyebrow raised in response, and ruby eyes surveyed his opponent. A disgusted snort escaped from the back of his throat before long. #_A jewel shard, how pathetic. Only a weakling depends on a power not their own, power they neither deserved, nor trained for or earned._#

Despite the other demon's words, his smirk only became larger. "A simple jewel shard changes nothing." His stance went lax. "You can still run, I wouldn't mind a chase. Maybe if you beg, I will go easy." his voice was dark, taunting.

It wasn't as if he would have in the first place anyways...

For a moment, fear instilled in the demon, but it was soon overcame by false arrogance and confidence. "It will be you begging for mercy, not me."

The snake demon gave a sickening smile to the other male as he continued. "It will not only be my duty to remove your unwanted presence form thisss world, but a pleasssure at that. Prepare to die you hybrid."

Said 'hybrid' merely offered a sadistic tilt of the lips, and the sounds of a sword unsheathing filled the air. A deep, rough voice followed. "Good. I was _hoping_ you'd say that."

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_-In the Present-_

Kurama sighed as he stepped down from the last step of long stairs that headed up to a shrine.

His eyes found his more than often silent companion as the demon suddenly appeared next to him out of nowhere. "I think that will be my last shrine for the day." he wearily commented as he started to walk in the direction of his home.

Honestly, one fable tale after another of a shrine's history isn't all that interesting. Especially when the content isn't very intriguing as one thought...

Even Youko couldn't stand it; after the first shrine's endless droning of history, the spirit was quick to recede and sleep. It didn't help the spirit that the men and women they were speaking to were old and unappealing to boot.

His companion raised an eyebrow at him. "Does that mean you're finished with this pointless researching at last?" his tone nothing but dry.

"It's not pointless, it's educating Hiei. And I need it for my thesis." Kurama reprimanded lightly.

Hiei scoffed. "Education won't help you in a fight." he muttered, blunt as ever.

Kurama's eyes flickered with amusement. "I don't know...maybe I can toss a fact or two about history to confuse them before taking them out. They'll never know what hit them." he teased lightly.

Hiei only let out another scoff. "Hn."

Kurama chuckled softly but shrugged nonetheless. "But no, I was hoping to be finished with my research by today, oh well. I only have one left, I should be able to go tomorrow. Will you be accompanying me to this one as well?" Emerald eyes peered at his demon friend.

Hiei shook his head sharply, his eyes narrowing in anger. "The monkey somehow managed to get Yukina to agree to go out with him for lunch." he muttered darkly.

Kurama hid a smile, lest have his friend direct his anger his own way. "That's right, but it's nothing to be worried about. You know Yukina wouldn't think of it as a date...I'm not sure she even_ knows_ what that is..." he said blankly.

Hiei snorted, nodding shortly in agreement. "But the idiot believes it is," he pointed out. "Someone has to make sure the buffoon doesn't try anything." His voice was cross.

Kurama bit his lip, trying hard not to laugh at Hiei's show of 'brotherly protection'.

Honestly, he felt bad for Kuwabara. It was obvious his feelings for Yukina were sincere, but it never had the chance to bloom with Hiei's constant sabotaging.

It wasn't by just pure _chance_ that the poor boy came to Genkai's shrine in hopes to ask the ice demoness for a date, only to forget the moment he set foot on the property every time and again.

Hiei was adamant in his attempts to keep his sister away from the psychic's clutches, that much was certain...

Kurama sighed, making a decision. "You're coming with me to the shrine." he said firmly.

Hiei blinked at the sudden demand, and turned to look at Kurama with a raised eyebrow. "_Why_?" he asked cautiously, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "What's in it for me?"

Kurama smirked. "Well, for one, you won't go to Reikai prison for killing Kuwabara."

Hiei snorted at that. "As if I'd be stupid enough to leave evidence implicating _me_." he retorted, his tone matter of fact.

It would be of someone else, of course...

Kurama rolled his eyes, ignoring him as he continued. "And two, you might learn something of interest; I saved the best for last. I heard the Sunset shrine specializes in Feudal legends, particularly the Shikon no Tama and it's miko protector."

Hiei's head snapped to Kurama at that. #_Shikon no Tama, you say?_# he conveyed telepathically.

Raising an eyebrow, Kurama nodded, continuing their conversation silently as he looked ahead. _*Yes, interested in hearing of the "cursed jewel"? Maybe it will shed some light to it...* _the fox's voice was teasing.

In contrast, Hiei's thoughts were much more harsher. _#The legend of the Shikon no Tama is just that, a legend. Merely a fabricated tale to scare little demons from the human realm, in fear of mikos.#_

Kurama's head snapped over to send the fire demon a surprised look, not expecting such a response.

Hiei turned away from his friend, glaring into the air. His mouth as set into a tight line as his thoughts turned to hatred. _#It does __not__ exist.# _he thought darkly, pausing momentarily before he continued.

_#It __**never **__did.#_

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Words- 1,920

_I am deeply sorry for the late update. Honestly the past few months have been hell. _

_Between school with finals and projects and what not, life with friends, lack of inspiration and ideas, and to top it all off my dad going to the hospital, I haven't had much luck. _

_Thankfully summer's here and my dad is fine as of now (docs don't know what's wrong just yet but he seems the same as before), so I'm hoping with the fading stress the ideas come flowing._

_But enough with the excuses and what not. What do you think of this chapter? I'm gonna have fun with this, story, I just know it. XDD Especially with the differences between past Hiei and future Hiei. _

_Hey, anyone wanna beta this story? It's up for grabs, if you wanna! Just let me know in a PM or review or something, and we'll chat. Right now this chapter is much more lighter than the prologue, and I'm having trouble trying to keep it a little darker. The ending wasn't so bad, but the rest of the chapter... ehhh... Any tips would be cool too! _

_Also, what is the correct way to spell the Japanese word for 'tear gem'? I've seen so many variations it's crazy ^^;;;_

_Well, that's all for now, till next time! ^^_

_-RainLily_

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-Reviews-

**Wow guys, you all never seem to cease to amaze me with those amazing reviews! It brightens up my day every time I read em… ^^ Thank you guys so much, love you all(in a completely friendly, non-crazy/weird way...)! You don't know how much I really appreciate this!**

A big huge honking thanks to these awesome reviewers!

**Rhianna224, Aashni, Lady Laran, KaneRyuMoon, Orihime-San, KagHieiLuver, cowgirlkitten2000, nowyouseemenowyoudont, hotshorty, goth lolita, lovingo0Kawaii0oGirl, Forbidden-Hanyou, KaggyAlcuradSesh, ShadowLover18, Foxluna, -Yuna's Reincarnation-1, Kenjo, Wicked Winter, TwilightFever-FutureCullen, kenshingirlxoxo652, Sesshomarubaby18, Stebba stud28, j.d.y., Neko4, Here Forever, Azumigurl**

**ArmyWife22079- **Heyy, lol well I'm glad you liked it! ^^ April? More like June, right? Hahah ;)

**KagomaruLover88- **It brightens my day to hear you say that XD

**lovelyanimeangel- **Lol sorry for the confusion, Kagome would be Hiei's mate, when I said sister, I meant Yukina ^^

**LuluCrazeD- **Lol, wellll I actually I haven't thought that far as to whether or not Kagome lives or die. It's a 50/50 chance, don't want to be predictable, right? Heheh

**Mistra Rose- **Hahah, you make me sound like a dealer XDD

**HalfBlackWolfDemon- **Thankss! I know! I love reading stories with Hiei in the past too! It'll be very interesting to play off his difference in personality between the past and present ^^

**MusicADD- **Epic is what I'm aiming for! ;DD

**Barrosailover5- **Hmm, concerning Inuyasha's place when it comes to Kagome and Hiei's relationship, I totally have no idea - I'm playing this out one chapter at a time haha I guess we'll have to see together, huh?

**ryuuhime66- **^^ I've never really tried writing a fic with a dark-ish theme to it, so it'll be interesting to try it out. And trust me, my fics are sure to include fights, fluff, and laughs. Otherwise, it wouldn't be as interesting, right? ^^

**merlyn1382- **Lol, forever would probably be the best bet ^^;

**BuNeng-TiaoWu- **thanks! Hahah, see, I'm just a really impatient person. ^^;; The reason I'm not very fond of this style is exactly what I'm doing now - taking a long time to get the story going and ended. What's worse is when the stories aren't finished, gah! Hahah, yea I get what you mean meaningless/boring intros. And thank you very much for your input. The reason I put symbols because in earlier stories, people tend to get confused, even if it is apparent from the way I'm writing. It's really for extra reassurance. I guess it depends on the person reading though, cause sometimes the symbols confuse others as well ^^;

**Cassie M. M.- **Noo, are you serious? You mean Hiei/Kag stories? They are like everywhere. Oh you know what actually? If you searched for "Hiei/Kag" in the Inuyasha or YYH separate sections, I'm sure you'll find more cause a lot of them were probably never switched over to the Inuyasha and YYH crossover section after FF.(net) added sections for crossovers

**Greenhemoglobin- **lmaoo sorry! ^^;;

**emunahdelquetzal****- **Hey, thanks ^_^ It's always a relief to hear that. It's a habit of mine to worry bout sentence structure and all the other mechanics in writing.


	3. Chapter 2: One Jewel For Another

_Mannn, I didn't mean to wait this long before updating again! Sorry! ^^;;;_

_Just managed to finish it up yesterday, and did some tweaking today. I'll apologize in advance for any grammar and spelling mistakes I made lol. I didn't really proof read this very closely, gah!_

_Anyways, - Read, Review, and as always Enjoyyy! XDD_

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_I'm changing it, cause in a 'derrr' moment, I realized it's easier for me and less confusing for you guys if I kept thoughts in just one format. I'll make sure to make it clear about who's thinking what! ;) _

_'thoughts'_

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_**Disclaimer- As much as I wish I did, I DO NOT own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho, just the plot of this story and any OC's that happen to pop up! XD **_

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-Paradox-

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_Previously-_

_Raising an eyebrow, Kurama nodded, continuing their conversation silently as he looked ahead. _*Yes, interested in hearing of the "cursed jewel"? Maybe it will shed some light to it...*_ the fox's voice was teasing._

_In contrast, Hiei's thoughts were much more harsher._ #The legend of the Shikon no Tama is just that, a legend. Merely a fabricated tale to scare little demons from the human realm, in fear of mikos.#

_Kurama's head snapped over to send the fire demon a surprised look, not expecting such a response. _

_Hiei turned away from his friend, glaring into the air. His mouth as set into a tight line as his thoughts turned to hatred. _#It does not exist.#_ he thought darkly, pausing momentarily before he continued._

#It **never **did.#

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-One Jewel For Another-

Only ten minutes had passed and two of the weaker snake demons were already dead.

It was the leader that was able to hold up in a fight, for which Hiei was grateful for.

Right now, the demon reverted back to his animalistic form of a large black cobra with a sharp, pointed tail, spikes lining his back, and large fangs protruded from it's mouth at least four inches.

The snake demon lacked finesse in his skill, a scrapper more than anything as he relied on agility, evasion, and aiming for weak points rather than head on, brute strength.

Unfortunately for him, Hiei excelled at all those things, strength, and more...

Hissing harshly, the snake demon recoiled back when Hiei's sword slashed through his skin for the seventh time. Blood splashed across the forest floor, painting it a deep blue.

Hiei let out a small sigh of annoyance, watching as his sword sizzled as the snake demon's venomous blood corroded the steel again, to the point where he could feel it almost giving out.

Just great, now he would have to find a new one and steal it...

While the snake demon was panting, it's scaly skin rippling with the effort and littered with wounds that continue to bleed out, one could barely see Hiei's chest move, even despite the gash that ran against his side and the smaller ones that littered his own body.

He was in control, barely fazed as always. Such wounds did nothing too him, not to one of his caliber and especially against a demon of such _low _strength as his demon and the adrenaline pumping through him blocked any pain.

Showing pain to an opponent meant giving them hope that the battle was turning in their favor. This way, the feeling of defeat that washed over them as they saw their opponent aloof and indifferent weakened them.

Hiei waited until the snake demon caught his breath, intent on drawing out the battle as long as possible.

Or, at least until he was bored. When that happened, he'd kill him...

Swallowing thickly, the snake demon coiled suddenly, and Hiei stiffened, muscles taut and ready for an attack.

But he blinked. It never came...

It almost seemed like the demon curled up to shut him and the world out, as if hoping if he curled up and shirk in fear, Hiei would just leave...

A soft, almost inaudible sigh escaped the hybrid's mouth as he became impatient.

He had have to admit though, this was a first.

"Despite what you wish, I will not just _go away _if you desist fighting and _pretend _I am no longer _here_," Hiei bit out coldly, eyes glinting sharply. When no answer was returned, Hiei became irritated now and he strode forward.

"You will die. It is a fact. So if you want to cower instead of fighting for you pathetic life, be my guest," he drawled out, pulling back his sword hand as he drew closer and he made to strike as soon as he was close enough.

But instincts pulled at him, and he leapt back suddenly, just as the snakes tail shot out to slash. As the tail barely missed him, Hiei eyes narrowed sadistically and moved forward in a flash, grabbing the tail and _swung_.

The demon hissed sharply as he flew, and flew, and _flew_, until he hit the trunk of a tree with a loud, and an undoubtedly painful thud.

Hiei stalked his prey slowly, and the snake demon, back in his humanoid form and too weak to make a run for it shook violently in fear.

"P-pleasssse. Sssstop..." he pleaded hoarsely.

A brief look of confusion crossed Hiei as he paused in front of him, when a dark, sadistic look replaced it in realization. "Hn. Your last words then," he acquiesced.

He may be an evil bastard, but let no one say he was not without _some _speck of honor...

He wasn't like these lowly demons after all...

"Y-you d...don't have t-to kill me..." the snake demon mumbled thickly, disoriented from the collision with the tree.

Hiei just stared at him. "No." His tone held no room to be dissuaded.

The snake demon shook, almost in a sob. "W-why?" he cried out pathetically. "What did I do to you?"

A bark of laughter. "Nothing." Hiei said simply. "I only wanted a fight, and you were the first to cross my path," he told him nonchalantly.

And with that and one last, shrieking scream from the snake, Hiei jerked forward, swinging his sword to glide gracefully until it reached its mark, cutting through the snake demon's neck like butter.

The screams stopped...

Hiei's eyes narrowed as he concentrated, and the demon's body suddenly combusted into flames, reducing his to ashes as he was burned away.

Once the demon was gone, Hiei finally winced. Gingerly, he brought his hand to his side, prodding the gash gently.

He let out a low hiss, scowling - he'd have to wait until later to clean it up. While he could speed up the healing, doing so with the venom still infecting the wound would just provide a nasty itching feeling he'd rather go without...

A dark glow and a tug at his sense caught his attention, and his eyes flickered towards the ground.

There was a little shard, sitting innocently atop of the ashes of the snake's remains. It's purple glow seemed to pulse, as if to _entice _him of all things.

Hiei's eyebrow rose minutely at absurdity of it.

Slowly, he dropped into a crouch to take a closer look at it. He examined it, ignoring it's pulses and pathetic attempts to tempt him.

Finally, he reached over to pick up the jewel shard, watching as it turned a deeper hue of purple.

He shrugged. Though he didn't care for a false power boost, he would take it with him anyway.

Maybe he could even sell it somewhere...

Suddenly, his form stiffened as a wave of ki brush by and caressed his form. His own ki spiked defensively in response.

His head snapped towards the direction of the oncoming energy and his eyes narrowed.

_Miko-ki_...

Letting out an annoyed grunt, he disappeared into the foliage, intent on finding a river to wash out his wound and then a cave where he could recover.

Even he wasn't stupid enough to face a miko in his condition, especially with his sword on the verge of snapping off, nor did he have the patience to deal with pesky humans...

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Kagome entered the clearing with the group, wide eyes taking in the scene of what was none other where a battle took place. Trees were cracked, destroyed, or burned. Only few a handful were left untouched.

Shippo's wide eyes scanned over the area. "Whoa...must have been some battle..." he said with amazement.

Kagome nodded silently and her eyes scoured for jewel, frowning when she found nothing.

Sango gave out a murmur of agreement as she eyed a pile of ash not to far from them. "And that must be whoever lost. My guess would be a fire demon did this..."

Inuyasha shrugged - there wasn't a demon to fight, so it didn't matter either way. "Keh, whatever," Inuyasha muttered before he turned to Kagome. "Where's the jewel, Kagome?"

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows but shook her head negative. "They must have been fighting over the jewel," she said, tone apologetic. "And the winner must have took it. If it was here, it's gone now. I didn't even sense it move away though..." she trailed off, scanning through the clearing again.

Why was it that she could still sense _something _though?

Inuyasha's eyes widened, filled with disbelief and frustration. "What do you _mean _you couldn't sense it moving away!" he shouted at her incredulously.

At her apologetic and utterly unhelpful shrug, he let out a frustrated groan. "Great, just _great_! We wasted all this time for nothing! Let's go guys!" he ordered harshly, sending a glare Kagome's way.

Miroku sighed, and ever the mediator he went to intervene. "Inuyasha, it is possible that someone is somehow hiding the jewel's aura and therefore blocking it from being sensed by Kagome. These things cannot be helped," he said soothingly.

Inuyasha snorted though, and just continued to glare at Kagome, as if waiting for her to speak.

Kagome blinked, and then stared back at him. "What! It's not my fault it's gone!" she retorted, affronted as she propped her hands against her hips and stuck her chin out defiantly. "I told you what I sensed, a jewel shard. There was no indication that it was moving away from us. As soon as we came in, the feeling disappeared," she exclaimed, only to look away to continue her search as she mentally added, '_Only for it to be replaced by something else - something... smaller...'_

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, scowling at her. "Feh, why ain't I surprised?" he huffed and with that he started to march away from them, the rest of them following.

Kagome whirled back at him and twitched. _'Why I outta...' _

Miroku and Sango sent Kagome an apologetic glance as they moved forward to follow Inuyasha. "C'mon Kagome, let's go. There's no point in arguing with him." Sango commented as she walked by.

The miko sighed but nodded nonetheless, moving to follow up behind them when she felt a tug on her senses. Her head snapped to the side and she slowed, the others moving farther away from her. Her eyes searched for whatever that tugged on her sense.

Stealing a glance at her comrades, she turned back from them with a firm nod.

She was going to find this thing. She _had _to.

The only problem was _how_.

Quickly moving towards the feeling, she hastily searched the forest ground. She felt the 'thing' coming closer and closer.

It didn't take to long for her to find whatever it was that pulled at her senses.

A few more steps and her senses told her it was at her feet. She glanced down, eyebrows furrowed at the sight of a jewel, nothing to like the Shikon, but containing some kind of power nonetheless.

"Hmmm... what's this?" she asked herself as she bent to a crouch, her aura coming out to prod at the little jewel. He head tilted curiously as she picked up an aura or importance and sadness.

Her eyes narrowed slightly when she noticed a string not too far away, cut, or more like slashed at as the ends seemed frayed like a sharp object broke it.

Meaning it belonged to someone...

Kagome bit her lip, wondering what she should do...

It was a beautiful deep blue, swirled in the middle like it encased something... The jewel looked precious and valuable, but more in a sentimental sense and for some reason, she felt that it was exactly for that reason that someone would be saddened by it's disappearance.

"Kagome!"

At the sound of her name her head shot up. Quickly her hand clamped around the strange jewel and broken string just as she heard the sounds of feet stomping towards her position and she jumped up.

Her head whipped around to see Inuyasha staring at her, scowl in place and eyebrow raised. Despite it all, Kagome still spotted a hint of worry and concern as he wondered what held her back. "What the hell's wrong now wench?"

Kagome let out a sigh and went to stand, but otherwise didn't bait him. "Nothing, I just thought I saw something."

Inuyasha, back to his rude front, waved his hand at her impatiently, "Well, come on then. Hurry the hell up!" He turned around and bounded away.

Kagome huffed and brushed off her skirt. She held out her hand, opening her palm to stare at the jewel. Her eyes flickered curiously.

Kagome sighed then, muttering, "I know you belong to someone, I just wonder _who_..."

Carefully, she brought out her bag and opened it, placing the jewel in a small compartment and making sure it would stay before she shouldered it once more and began to walk hurriedly, so Inuyasha wouldn't come back and complain.

Once reaching the group, Kagome stopped short. "Oh crap..." she muttered quietly.

Shippo peered up at her curiously. "What's wrong Kagome-chan?"

Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha. "What's today?" she demanded frantically.

Inuyasha's face twisted at the question. "How the hell would I know?" he retorted flatly.

Kagome let out a frustrated scoff, instead preparing to dig in her bag

Miroku proved to be more helpful as he sighed, shaking his head at Inuyasha. "It has been exactly a week and two days since you came back, which was on a 'Friday' as you called it. So if I am correct in remembering your teachings, that would make today a 'Sunday'."

Kagome paused in her digging to pass Miroku a grateful smile. "Thank you Miroku-kun!" she breathed out, to which a welcoming nod was returned.

She pulled out a small book of hers, flipping through the pages until she arrived to the one she desired. Her eyes widened in absolute panic. "Oh my God!" she squealed out. "I completely forgot! My math test is tomorrow!" she freaked, turning wide eyes towards Inuyasha, which was followed by a loud, exasperated groan.

"Oh, for the love of-!"

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Hiei's eyes shot open, and he sat up gingerly. His eyes picked up that it was now night, and he felt at his wound. Tugging, he pulled off his bandages and ran a cawed hand over the reddened skin - his wound had healed but was still sore.

Hiei laid back, eyes closing in relaxation as he finally finished bandaging his wounds.

Taking solace in the quiet night air, his hand inched to his neck, only for his hand to grab nothing but skin. His eyes shot open and shock and brought his other hand to feel around the base of his neck.

When he found nothing, the severity of the situation slammed into him. He shot up, collecting his belongings before sprinting out of the cave, towards where he killed that demon. Fury, hatred , and determination burned in his eyes as remembered...

_'_"_You will die. It is a fact. So if you want to cower instead of fighting for you pathetic life, be my guest," he drawled out, pulling back his sword hand as he drew closer and he made to strike as soon as he was close enough._

_But instincts pulled at him, and he leapt back suddenly, just as the snakes tail shot out to slash. _

_As the tail barely missed him, he didn't notice as it sliced through the cord of his necklace, sending it to the ground where it skipped before losing it's momentum, settling in a tuft of grass...'_

That damn bastard sliced off his only reminder of his mother, the one thing that provided true peace and solace in a time where it was scarce for him.

True, killing was therapeutic for him, but it was not the same nor did it compare to the feeling that filled him when he held and looked upon his jewel.

It signified the only family he had and of the betrayal of his mother's people. It was the thing that always surged his hatred and passion to take his revenge at night.

But most of all was that it represented the other half of a set, that it had a twin when first shed. And it's twin was with his own - his sister.

The Hiruseki stone...

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Words- 2,598

_Well, what do you think? Hoped you all loved it! ^^ _

_Next up is the epic chappy that you all (or maybe most?) have been waiting for lmaoo! _

_I'll try to be quicker next time lol ;)_

_Again, hope you liked it! Till next time, and remember to review! I love __constructive__ criticism, and adore suggestions and compliments. Gimme a flame though, you'll be sufficiently glared at and then ignored. (Cause I ain't wasting my time on those pieces of shittttt! XDD) _

_Till laters,_

_RainLily^^ _

-Reviews—

**Wow guys, you all never seem to cease to amaze me with those amazing reviews! It brightens up my day every time I read em… ^^ Thank you guys so much, love you all(in a completely friendly, non-crazy/weird way...)! You don't know how much I really appreciate this!**

A big huge honking thanks to these awesome reviewers!

**Sinistera of the Akatsuki, Stebba stud28, Azumigirl, j.d.y., ihavemymoments, Battosailover5, lasy sesshomaru-sama, TaiOokamiYoukai, ashie-loves-hiei-and-kags, KaggyAlucardSesh, Dark Neko 4000, Trinity Fenton-Phantom, lissa, Speedykitten1643, rspringb**

**KaneryuMoon- **Lol, yeah it can and it _will _get ugly hahah (I'm evil! XP) But awhh, thank you! Hope you liked this chapter.

**Cassie M. M.- **:D Hello again! ^^ Lol, thanks! Heheh, that's just Hiei being the lovable protective big brother he is (in secret of course ;)) Lol, Yukina should be warned by the evil, _evil _intentions of men. But alas, maybe Hiei doesn't want her finding out _anything_ about men? That way she won' desire it? And besides, just imagine how Hiei will do in _that _conversation! Lmfaooo XDD (Lol, and trust me, I would break that rule too without one second of hesitation heheh X3) Thanks again!

**Music ADD- **X3 Hehehhh!

**Sinopa Ariyana- **Lol, thanks! ^^ Ohh, i have absolutely no idea why I didn't respond to you earlier! ^^;; Uhmm, since it's been wayyy long since I've updated and your review, I was wondering if you still wanted to beta this fic? I totally understand if you can't, but if you can, well I would be sooo grateful! It probably won't be for another while until I get another chapter up, since I have this stupid research paper I'm supposed to be working on the next couple of weeks, and then a lotta other junk and stuff . Oh, and thanks for telling me the right spelling for the stone, I appreciate it! :D Anyways, thank you again! :)

**merlyn1382- **:) Thank you! And well, the next chapter will be of the future Hiei and Kurama visiting the shrine, and that is where the summary comes in heheh!

**dimensiontimetraveler- **Lol, well I updated! Sorry for it being sooo late though! ^^; Hiei will meet Kagome in the future in the next chapter, and yepp, she'll still be collecting the jewel shards for now. Hope ya enjoyed the chappy! ^^

**Megan1339- **Awhh thanks! This whole kinda set up is pretty new to me (and I always used to hate how people do the scene of the end of the story first, and then cut to what happened to lead up to it, but now I really like it lmaooo) Hopefully I keep up the good job then, and that you enjoy this chapter and all to come! XD


	4. Ch 3: Past Meets Present & Vice Versa

_Merry Christmas guys! And Happy Holidays as well! :) Hope it's a grand one, and I hope this chapter make all of your holidays even better! _

_My deepest apologies for the lack of updates! ^^; This is one of my favorite fics, but I never have much inspiration for it :/ But I won't give up though! _

_Anyways, I won't keep you all - Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

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_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own, nor claim to own, anything pertaining to Inuyasha nor Yu Yu Hakusho. Just the ideas that pop into my mind ;)

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—Paradox—

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_Last time:_

'As the tail barely missed him, he didn't notice as it sliced through the cord of his necklace, sending it to the ground where it skipped before losing it's momentum, settling in a tuft of grass...'

_That damn bastard sliced off his only reminder of his mother, the one thing that provided true peace and solace in a time where it was scarce for him. _

_True, killing was therapeutic for him, but it was not the same nor did it compare to the feeling that filled him when he held and looked upon his jewel. _

_It signified the only family he had and of the betrayal of his mother's people. It was the thing that always surged his hatred and passion to take his revenge at night._

_But most of all was that it represented the other half of a set, that it had a twin when first shed. And it's twin was with his own - his sister._

_The Hiruseki stone..._

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—Past Meets Present – Or is it the Other Way Around?—

Slowly, deliberately, Hiei stalked through the forest surrounding him, waiting.

As a couple of days passed, he soon discovered that the jewel had more value than he first assumed. A better use than using as a power boost, or even selling it.

It was a demon magnet, and it drew demons of all kind and strength to him like a moth to a flame.

Mentally, Hiei smirked sadistically. Maybe he'll hold onto this little fragment, instead of hocking it.

It provided him with a much needed way to blow of some steam.

A predatory smirk spread through his face soon enough as the aura of a certain demon came closer.

_'And __the __prey __is __found...'_

Five seconds later found him face to face with a rat demon. Not a pleasurable thing to do, but necessary nonetheless.

Rat demons were notoriously weak - _and __just __as __ugly __to __boot__ -_but the little buggers were also very well known as sufficient information sources for things others weren't privy to.

Reason being, no one notices rats anymore, seeing as they were so common and mostly kept to the shadows and what not.

And it was information he needed.

—o—o—o—o—

Kagome managed to convince Inuyasha to double back to Kaede's. But by the time they reached her hut, they were back to square one.

A loud groan of frustration echoed in the walls of the small hut. "C'mon Inuyasha! I need to go back home, this test is really important! It's my worst subject so I need to study!"

Inuyasha let out a growl filled enough frustration to match her own. "I'm getting sick and tired of all these stupid tests Kagome! It's taking away time we could be using to get Naraku!"

Kagome scoffed, glaring at him. "We're no closer to finding Naraku than we were months ago! A few days won't make much difference!"

Inuyasha huffed. "And if we get a lead before you come back!" he challenged, smirking triumphantly now that he got her there.

Kagome raised an eyebrow and stuck out her chin stubbornly. "Then I guess you'll just have to follow it without me! Won't make much of a difference, would it? You're always quick to point out I only get in the way when we're fighting anyways!" she shot back darkly.

Inuyasha's mouth snapped shut at that, properly abashed. He couldn't deny he said that before... "Keh, fine, go! See if I care!" he scoffed. "Stubborn bitch..." he muttered under his breath.

Kagome, who was smiling as she happily grabbed her things, froze and twitched. "Sit boy," she muttered crossly just as she stalked out of the hut.

—o—o—o—o—

"P-p-_please_!" the small demon begged pathetically, words rasping in a whispered whimper, practically sobbing. "That's all I know – I swear! Just _let __me __go_!"

Oh, wait, _now _he was sobbing...

Hiei paused, claws skin deep, dangerously close to the rat's jugular. With a sickening _**'slelch'**_, Hiei removed his hand. His ruby red eyes narrowed, irises dilating as he studied the demon before him analytically. "I might just believe you..." Hiei mused softly.

Light lit up in the rat demon's eyes – shining with obvious hope. "S-so you'll let me go?" he said eagerly, relaxing in relief.

Hiei blinked at him blankly. "No," he declared rather frankly, and before the rat demon could register his answer, his claws shot out and...

Well... let's just say the demon couldn't breath anymore.

One needed a throat to accomplish that...

Hiei flicked the blood off his nails loftily, pondering over the information he had just obtained.

It was a name and a rumor, but it would do. A demon surgeon who carried a special item, rumored to be traveling somewhere in the mountains out east.

Now all he needed to do was find this demon surgeon, get what he wanted, and move on to the ice domain to enact some deserved revenge. After that, he'll come back to hunt down the bastard that dared to steal his Hiroseki stone, and kill them.

First though, he needed to find himself a sword replacement. And then steal it...

Hiei smirked as he leapt through the forest with inhuman speed, his eyes glinting darkly.

Things were looking up for him...

—o—o—o—o—

_'I __ought __to __slit __your __throat __where __you __stand...'_

That snarky remark was met with a wry twitch of the lips. _'Oh, __Hiei, __please __settle __down. __We're __not __even __**at **__the __shrine __and __you're __already __complaining,'_ he projected, eyes dancing at the responding mental snarl.

_'And, __if __you're __a __good __little __boy, __we'll __even __take __you __for __ice __cream!'_

The mocking in Youko's tone was palpable.

Kurama sighed when Hiei actually snarled out loud this time.

_'Do __**not **__treat __me __like __a __child!' _Hiei hissed angrily.

Kurama twitched, irritated. _'Then __stop __acting __like __one__ – __and __that __goes __to __**both **__of __you!' _the redhead snapped at his counterpart when he felt emotion stirring from the kitsune.

An image of Youko pouting pathetically was conjured in his mind, which Kurama mentally shoved down. _'Stop, __Youko__ – __those __tricks __stopped __working __long __ago...'_he muttered wearily as he began the long trek up the shrines stairs.

The moment he stepped onto the threshold, he felt a warning spark run through his body, before a warm feeling settled upon him – as if it was welcoming him, but warning him to behave...

Within his mind, Youko hissed, and Kurama imagined if he was in fox form, his fur would be standing on end.

Kurama tensed and crouched slightly, wary and instantly on alert. Beside him, Hiei materialized, ruby eyes flashing this way and that with his hand already on the hilt of his sword.

"So you felt it too, hm?" Kurama murmured, eyes sharp.

_'It __**is **__a __shrine...'_Hiei muttered, still on the lookout.

Kurama dipped his head in acknowledgment. "True, but out of all the shrines I stepped into, I've never felt anything like that... Aside from Genkai's, of course..."

Hiei's eyes narrowed, and he lowered his sword hand. "This shrine is protected," he stated, realization dawning in his eyes.

Kurama relaxed as well, blinking in surprise. "Obviously not from demons," he mused, stepping in further.

_'It's __energy__ – __it's __pure. __This__ – __whatever __it __is... __isn't __powered __by __just __one __person__ – __but __generations. __Most __likely __of __monks __and __mikos__ – __and __**strong **__ones __at __that,' _Youko emphasized, impressed as well as apprehensive. _'I've __only __seen __that __once __before...'_

Hiei nodded to Youko's observation and strode forward, taking in his surroundings. His muscles tensed as an unfamiliar feeling washed over him – one he didn't like. "It is a barrier – barring all with ill intentions..." he murmured, trailing off, eyeing the area.

Kurama looked over at his friend, eyebrows raised at the uncertainty cloud his voice. "Hiei?"

Hiei only shook his head though, recognizing the feeling as deja vu. "I have been here before," he stated bluntly.

Kurama's eyebrows raised even more at that. "Funny how it's the shrine with the tales of the Shikon..." he mused thoughtfully, ignoring Hiei's harsh glare.

_'I __**told **__you-' _Hiei began angrily.

Kurama sighed, holding up a placating hand. "Yes, yes, it's only a legend," he acquiesced reluctantly. "Let's see if we can find the care takers then, hmm?"

Hiei remained silent and walked with him into the shrine.

When it soon became apparent that no one was outside, they walked over to the main house, and knocked on the door.

The only answer they received was silence.

_'Oh, __what __a __**pity**__,' _Hiei drawled out sarcastically, smirking. _'It __seems __no __one __is __here__ – __we __should __go __then,' _he stated simply.

Kurama scoffed, rolling his eyes, and his eyes fluttered shut as he released his energy. "Ah, that's where you're wrong," Kurama pointed out smugly. "There _is_ someone – they're around back... hmm, as well as a tree I wish to check out," he mused in amusement.

Hiei responded with an annoyed sigh. _'Stupid, __tree__hugging, __annoying __kitsune...'_

Kurama merely smirked as he headed around back where they soon found themselves faced with a girl their age. She was dressed in a school uniform – white shirt, red tie, and green skirt, carrying a backpack of an atrocious yellow color and walking away from them.

Kurama smiled, widening even at Hiei's mental scoff.

"Ah, hello - Miss?"

—o—o—o—o—

It was with a wide smile that Kagome slid the doors of the well house open and stepped out, taking a deep breath of the air.

_'Ah,__the __smell __of __trees __and __car __exhaust__ – __never __thought __I'd __be __so __relieved __to __smell __pollution...'_she thought wryly, shaking her head as she shut the door behind her. _'It's __so __good __to __be __home.'_

"At least here I can sleep in a _real _bed and take a nice, warm shower whenever I feel like it," she whispered with reverence, grinning silly to herself.

She took her time walking around, getting reacquainted with the home she missed so dearly – free of the burdens, responsibilities, and despair that came with the other side of the well. A smile lit her face at the sight of sakura blossoms beginning to bloom.

Five minutes of just plain walking around, she had reached the Goshinboku and was about to approach it when a voice stopped her.

"Ah, hello – Miss?"

Kagome turned at the voice, her muscles tensing automatically, and blinked, momentarily stunned at the sight that graced her. _'Whoa__ – __**hello **__handsome...' _came the immediate thought. 

Shaking her head of the thought, she smiled politely at the man, taking the black backpack fitted snugly to his obviously fit torso.

_'Cute __he __may __be, __but __pretty __boy __has __nothing __on__ the __perfection __of __Sesshomaru __or __rugged __looks __of __Inuyasha...' _she thought in amusement.

"Hi!" she greeted merrily, voice warm.

—o—o—o—o—

_'Cute __he __may __be, __but __pretty __boy __had __nothing __on __the __perfection __of __Sesshomaru __or __rugged __looks __of __Inuyasha...'_

When the thought entered Hiei's mind, his first reaction was to snort in amusement.

It wasn't often that a human female dismissed the fox's looks so quickly.

It was a second later that the full weight of that thought _really _registered, the names she used that he recognized as two any normal human girl just _shouldn't _know – and not only that, but the _sheer __familiarity_ of how the thought sounded, the 'voice' behind it. It stirred memories from so long ago.

Memories he preferred buried and long forgotten, lest the pain he locked away along with it would resurface as well.

His head snapped away from the shrine structure he was blankly gazing at, turning towards the girl which the thought originated from.

And it was then and there, for the first time in many centuries, that Hiei's jaw went slack.

If Yusuke was here, he'd claim that the apocalypse had arrived and zombies would soon make an appearance to take over the world and bite some random human's head off.

Hiei Jaganashi was actually shocked.

Wide sapphire eyes – _so, __**so **__familiar, __that __they __**even **__had __the __speckles __of __gray __within __them__ – _outlined with thick black lashes set on a lightly tanned, heart-shaped face.

How could he ever forget those eyes that could run through ten different emotions in a matter of seconds? Those eyes that would flash from fury to passion to love with only a few mere words and gestures from him personally, such as a crass remark or a gentle caress of her cheek.

It was... it was _her_...

But _was _it really...?

Flashes from hundreds of years ago replayed through his mind in a whirlwind.

_Crimson eyes locking with petrified, dulling blue... A gasp strangling its way from his throat..._

"_Ka-Kagome…" _

_His heart stopping momentarily... watching as the woman of interest – of his desire, his **heart** - crumpled to the ground, helpless... _

_Her knees buckling first, then her legs giving out from under, her body hitting the ground with a sound thud. _

_Those same deep blue eyes filled with so much pain which would haunt him for life - never waving from his. _

_Taking one step forward before an influx of miko-ki stunned him, rendering him immobile... _

_Her presence slowly dissipating... panic spreading throughout his body..._

_Reality finally striking... his mind finally comprehending the severity of the situation..._

_A terrified roar ripping out from his throat. _

"_KAGOME!"_

_His stomach twisting sickeningly at the scene he stepped into - his throat closed, his eyes burned. His lips trembled ever so slightly._

_A bow, broken in half with the string snapped, lying abandoned next to a pile of steaming ash still hissing..._

_...A pile of ash which suspicious and remarkably smelt like thunder and chocolate..._

His whole form tensed as the pair conversed, ignorant to his racing mind. Ignorant to how his heart was aching in silent agony.

Ignorant to how his blood pounded through his head, roaring through his ears.

Hiei ever so slightly lifted his nose into the air, taking a silent sniff.

He went rigid at the scent he found – a minuscule shudder tore down his spine, though no one could tell.

It smelt... it smelt like thunder and chocolate...

Anger pulsed through his veins as the first thought that came to him was someone found out – somehow, someone _knew _and they were playing a dirty, low trick on him – one that would end with him personally removing their head from their shoulders. It opened old wounds – tearing them open harshly and cruelly.

And it was that emotion that spurred him into action.

If it _was __**really **_her, then they'd find out soon enough.

Hiei vanished from Kurama's side and reappeared by the _girl_, because he wouldn't dare disgrace her name by calling a ruse it. Harshly, he forcibly snatched up her forearm, pulling her close, threateningly.

"Hiei!" Kurama shouted in a mix of horror, incredulity, and alarm. "What the _hell _are you doing?" he demanded hotly. "Let her go!"

Hiei ignored Kurama's shout - ignored the girls quick intake of breath, the way her face paled, and how her eyes widened noticeably.

He also ignored the pang in his chest at the sight of fear flooding into the eerily familiar sapphire gaze.

_Once __upon __a __time, __so __very __long __ago, __he __made __a __promise __to __never __be __the __cause __of __such __of __thing..._

"This is _impossible_..." Hiei hissed, fangs baring in a silent snarl. "I saw you _die_."

The girl's reaction was immediate – shock bleed into the fear, mingling with incredulity and disbelief the moment his statement registered a split second later.

"Excuse – _what _did you say?"

* * *

Words- 2,438

_Aaah, the moment we've all been waiting for._

_And the question of the day is – what's gonna happen next? How is Kagome going to react?_

_'Grins' Guess we'll find out next chapter then, lol. I'll try being quick about it, but, with my track record, best to say no promises ^^;_

_Happy Holidays everyone, and specifically, Merry Christmas to all those celebrate! :D_

_Till laters! _

_RainLily^^_

* * *

–**Reviews–**

**Thank you so much for the awesome feedback for the last chapter! The alerts, the favs, and reviews, everything! I really do appreciate it, knowing that I'm not screwing this up and that people are actually reading and liking this lol. You guys rock!**

A big huge honking thanks to these awesome reviewers!

**Speedykitten1643, Fairy Demon26, fierynightangel, ShiTsukisama, HikariMaho, Azumigurl, Megan1339, Yuki no Ai, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, Selenay Of Antioch, Kitsune Of The Underworld, BB'sPartnerInCrime, lady sesshomaru-sama, The Bane of the Fox, KagomeHiei, Forbidden Shadow Foxx, angel61991, Trinity Fenton-Phantom, Kage Hasu, Riceball Ninja, foxya16, hiei lovers**

**Cassie.M.M- **Lol, sorry for not updating very often ^^; Crap, you were right thought – the jewel Kagome found was suppose to be blue lol. I looked it up somewhere, and Hiei's stones are red. Yukina's and his mother's are blue. At least I think so. And I think they're like yellow in the anime haha.

**Sinopa ****Ariyana-**Lol, I've tried learning Japanese, but I'm really horrible at learning languages – I mean, I even forget words in English, and that's my native language haha! Lmao, I'm totally the same with research – I hate doing research involuntary. If it's voluntary, I'm all for it lol. But oooh, that sounds so cool! I've always been interested in Mythology – whatever region or kind, doesn't matter lol. I'm hoping to take a class one day for college, if I ever find one offered. I'm especially interested in Greek and Roman history. And you have a very interesting background hahah! Pretty sweet lol! And the blackmail? 'snickers' Very nice!

**dragonfly1339-**Hehe, you were right, they do meet in the past rather than the future. And yeah, this will totally get so confusing – for you and me both haha! Hopefully I can manage to make it not _too_confusing though. And awhh, thanks! ^^

**Ice ****Vixen-**Hahah, well look! I continued! ;) Hehe, hope you enjoyed this chapter – Happy Holidays! ;)


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